Hello Tumblr,

I experienced my first RCG moment in San Diego. Down there to visit friends, I assumed San Diego was just like LA. In some ways, I was right- the nice views, the relaxed atmosphere. But in other ways I was wrong. In San Diego, there is a greater Mexican population. When I asked about this, one of my friends responded in a light tone, “Don’t call us Mexicans. When you hear ‘Mexican’ you think of gardeners, and we are not gardeners.” I laughed at this because I understood what he meant. The word ‘Mexican’ was associated with a lower class. It baffles me how a whole race, filled with many different kinds of people, can just so easily be stereotyped. Thinking more broadly, many races are stereotyped. Jews are paired with the word cheap, blacks are paired with violence. I believe these stereotypes are not true of the race, rather many people in the race are following a self-fulfilled prophecy. After the Mexican people were associated with the term ‘Gardner’ for so many years, many believed that that is the only occupation they can live up too. But, this is all opinion. The only thing I do know is that races are stereotyped far more then they should be.